Africa

As a kid in 5th class, all Africa meant to me was the dark continent. To be answered in quizzes and class home work. As I grew up, it came to mean so much more. The Nile, the Egyptian civilization, intrepid adventurers like Livingstone. Much much later about the Boer wars, the gold, diamond, HIV and now more recently oil.

In all senses of the word, I think it would have been much better for Africa to have remained a dark continent. Never opening up to reveal to the world the people of Africa, the forests, the water, the gold, the diamonds..

That they were rich in resources was never a question. Where did Ma Earth not leave bonny treasures for Her son to delight in? She only forgot to share it equally between the brothers.

When I see pictures of Africa, I get haunted by wild visions. I think these people deserve more pity than anybody else in the world. At least the people of Iraq do know the value of their oil.

As a kid, as a teen, as a woman now,I have stood fascinated by the stories of Egypt. Pharaohs,their beautiful queens, their concubines, their servants, their riches.Nile. Egypt. The Sahara.

When I think of the chasm linking them and the rest of Africa together, I am not sure whether to laugh or cry. When will the exploitation of man ever end? Did you know? The women of Africa were referred to as sleeping dictionaries. By the British officers. They slept with them and learnt the language. How does that sound?

The world took gold, diamonds, now oil and has given back to them poverty, disease, starvation and death. Good deal if you are not on their side, isn't it?

Civil wars, mutiny, desertation. What is gold compared to a stomach full of food and a clean place to sleep? What are diamonds compared to the smiling teeth on the children's face? What is oil when compared to the fire that burns in a heart?

When people believe in numbers? I read a statistic recently. It took a quarter of a century to convert Africa to Christianity. It took 5 years for the Muslims to convert them to Islam. I am glad that conversions aren't supported in Hinduism.Any and everybody have a right to think and nobody can question that right.

How do you rate Africa? I rate them as people who could live in harmony with nature. People who did not allow all the diamonds in the world to run their life for them. People who did not care for gold or riches. Simple, happy people.

The world branded them savages, barbarians, cannibals, and once they turned 'alright', it turned cannibalistic towards them.

All the clichéd expressions. What are other's sufferings when those compared to Africa are? The sky blue, the sun yellow, the waters blue, the greens green. Yet the soil is blood red. The people oil black. The desert an unforgiving orange.

After all. The entire exercise is futile. I vaguely remember the movie No man's land as I close my mind to Africa. My heart though is awake and my soul poignant.

This trip to Africa : courtesy of a photo I saw recently in orkut. As much as photos cant capture the true intent or the sufferings, no amount of sympathizing can ever equal the sacrifice of true volunteers fighting AIDS and multinationals.

This day. I suddenly realized I have a long way to go in becoming a decent human being. I am decent girl accepted by the standards of people today. But by God? I am a long long way off.

Also as a side note, whatever I write, whatever I do : I never premeditate. You can ask anybody about it. I never plan on what I am going to say. It is spontaneous, it is true.

It is not for blog's sake. This web page is not a blog to me. I think it is my way of baring up to the world. It is stripping of my face and saying, yes. This is what I am and I am not ashamed of it.

Nerlaiyum na ipdi than. Blog laiyum ipdi than.